Only Once Isn't Enough
by Kireshai
Summary: Severus Snape hated James Potter, so Severus Snape hates Harry Potter. Right? Project on hiatus due to writer's block. Snarry, m-preg, hbp semi-compliant
1. The Past

Only once isn't enough.

Disclaimer: I do not own this story, well, I do, but I don't own the Harry Potter universe, and I'm making no money at all writing this, in fact, all I'm doing is wasting my time.

A\N: A personal challenge from my sister. "What if Snape hated James for a different reason?" This is mid-HBP, so Dumbly-do is not dead yet. And If people review enough, I might write a sequel. So, vote for me, Kireshai!!

Warnings: M-preg, slash!!!!, swearing.

* * *

Harry was sick of it. He was more than over Snape's treatment of him. He was sick of being singled out for punishment, sick of being victimised. Sure, it was his own fault, after the pensieve incident, and then the 'sectumsempra' incident, but enough was enough!

It was true also, that Harry had his ulterior motives for confronting the man, but at the time he was blinded by the pure anger he felt as he marched to the office. He burst loudly into his professor's office, and was rewarded with an expression of pure shock.

The expression was quickly hidden behind the cold mask, as the curt voiced quipped at him, "Leave my office now, Potter, unless you wish to face the consequences, and ten points from Gryffindor for your shocking manners."

"No." Harry whispered, voice wavering angrily. "I want to talk to you, I want you to listen and you will answer."

"Excuse me?" Snape stood. "What has given you the right to command me?"

Harry glared at his professor, before yelling out. "Why do you hate me?"

Snape sneered unpleasantly. "That's none of your business."

Harry stepped closer to the considerably taller man, being almost dwarfed by his height. "I think it is."

"Oh really?" Snape's voice dripped with venom. "And just why is that?"

"Because," Harry spat, "your treatment of me, and your feelings towards me affect me on a day-to-day basis. And adding to that, it is based entirely on your interaction with another person, and not on your experiences with me."

At his words, Snape flushed slightly. Harry caught a glimpse of it, before the other man turned away and hissed. "Need I remind you that I have many reasons to hate you?"

"As do I! But your feelings aren't based on those occurrences! Your mind was made up the moment I started at this school, and your attitude has not changed since!"

Then Snape did something that shocked Harry to the core. He laughed. A dry, bitter, defeated laugh at most, but nonetheless, a laugh. "I cannot believe that, for once, you are right, Mr Potter. I must admit, I never expected it to happen."

Harry stared at his professor, amazed by this transition.

"I might as well tell you why. Sit down, Potter." He gestured to a chair, whilst sitting on the one opposite. Unlike usual, his posture was relaxed, loose.

Harry sat, his body rigid. "Ummm... Professor?" He spoke warily. "Are you... alright?"

"I am fine." He muttered. Sitting straight, he stared directly at Harry for a few moments, before speaking again. "You are right. I do not hate you because of your behaviour, despite the fact that I find it objectionable. I hate you, as you well know, because you are the progeny of James Potter. But I do not dislike him for the reason you think."

Harry found this puzzling, but did not speak, afraid he would anger Snape. And he needed to know. What other reason could there be for so strong a dislike?

"The truth is, when I was sixteen, one night, I got really drunk. And well, your father and I..." He looked down, embarrassed "And well, you follow, I hope." Harry was astonished by this. But he was even more amazed by the next set of words that came out of the man's mouth. "He was the best shag I ever had."

"Then... Why do you hate him?"

"Because." Snape looked up, suddenly angry. "Next day he was walking around with Lily as if nothing had happened between us, and it hurt."

Harry realised something, and started to blush profusely. "What day was it?"

"February the third." Snape looked at him sharply. "Why?"

"Well, remember that I collapsed during class on February the third this year?"

"How is that important?" Snape continued to glare at him.

"Well," Harry gulped, "While I was unconcious, my spirit had gone back in time and materialised there. It had actually been forced back by Ron's shitload of a potion. And, it went back exactly twenty years, to the second. I had a physical presence there, until, exactly twenty years later, my body recovered from the condition."

Snape frowned, then understanding suddenly dawned on his face. "So, you're saying that... Not possible." Snape shook his head emphatically. "I will not believe that."

"Whether you believe it or not is not the point. It happened." Harry challenged Snape with his every word.

"PROVE IT."

Harry put his wand to his temple and dragged away, envisioning the memory of that night in his mind. "Do you have a pensieve?"

* * *

Harry stood before the wooden bowl, its contents swirling ominously. With a nod from his professor, he placed his hand in the liquid, and he was falling into the hogwarts potions lab. When he landed, he saw himself lying on the dungeon floor. As he watched himself stir, he felt Snape landing next to him.

Pensieve Harry sat up slowly, then looked carefully around the dungeon. Upon registering the fact that he was alone, he stood, muttering. "What the fuck? Don't tell me they left me when I collapsed!"

He walked to the door, opened it, and walked outside, silently followed by his watchers. Once out the door, he strode along the corridor, quickly checking his watch. He made his way to the entrance hall. Once there, he pushed open the doors to the great hall.

Inside, he could see dinner in full swing.Eyes roaming over the Gryffindor table, he searched for Ron and Hermione. But he couldn't spot them. Who he did find, however, made him turn and run from the hall and out into the grounds.

As his shadows followed, he sprinted to the little cottage on the edge of the forbidden forest. He knocked twice on the door, before yelling. "Hagrid!"

Muffled footfalls came from inside the building. "Al' Righ'! 'm comin'!" The door opened to a clean shaven Hagrid. "Why, Potter, wha'd yer wan' terday?"

"Why did you shave your beard, Hagrid?" Pensieve Harry was staring in shock.

"Wha' are yer talkun' 'bout, Potter?"

"And why aren't you calling me Harry?"

"Because 'at's not yer name, o'course!" Hagrid looked at him suspiciously. "'Ey, why're yer wearun' glasses, James?"

Harry stepped back, horrified, turned on his heel, and ran. His shadows sped after him. As he ran, pensieve Harry removed his glasses, and consequentially ran into another person blocking his road.

"Hello, Potter." There was a slight slur in the cold voice.

Pensieve Harry seemed to recognise it, however, for he looked up, straight into the eyes of his sixteen year old potions professor.

"Professor! I'm so glad I found you!" Harry hugged the man hard, before letting go.

"Professsssor? I'm not a professsssor, Potter. Are you being cheeky wiv me?" Snape drew his wand. "Acshually, don't bover. I'll 'ex you right here and now for dat one."

Harry backed away slowly, reaching into his robes to look for his wand, which was still in the potions classroom twenty years into the future. "Sir, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, I'm ssir, now, am I? I'll teach you t-" With that, Snape collapsed, out cold, on the hard stone floor.

"I don't remember that."

"I'm not surprised."

* * *

Pensieve Harry dragged Snape to the nearest classroom, setting him down against the wall. Crouching next to him, Harry lifted a hand to his face, brushing the dark hair from the closed eyelids.

"You know, professor, when you're asleep, you're quite beautiful." Harry leaned forward, lightly brushing his lips against the other man's. Snape groaned, and Harry sat back, blushing profusely.

"Potter?" Snape opened his eyes. "What was that?"

"Um.. Er.." Harry stood quickly. "I've got to go!" He turned towards the door.

Snape grabbed his hand. "I know what it was, Potter." Snape smirked at the turned back. "So do it again. Only, this time, put more fire into it."

Harry looked back at him. "What?"

"Do it again, Potter."

That's what Pensieve Harry did. As they kissed passionately, real Harry looked at his Snape counterpart. He could see the look of constraint on the aged face. And when he saw that look, he knew it would come to nothing.

* * *

Severus could not believe it. He was not sitting, well, standing really, and watching one of the biggest events of his life. Only, he'd got it all wrong.

The person he'd always thought had done it to spite him, had not been involved at all. Well, not directly. It had all been Harry. And it had had no follow up because Harry couldn't follow it up. All those emotions he had felt. They were all wrong.

After watching a bit of canoodling go on, Snape cleared his throat. "I think that we've witnessed enough of this. I believe you now." He took Harry's shoulder in his hand, and they fell back into his office.

"Well sir, I'm glad that you know now. And there was actually something else I wanted to talk to you about..." Harry seemed nervous to him. He was shuffling his feet, and fiddling with his robes.

"What did you want to say?"

"Well..."

"Spit it out, boy!"

Harry flinched at the words, but spoke. "Well, because of that night..." Harry looked directly into his eyes. "I'm pregnant."

* * *

Ta Daaa! All done! I am a fabulous writer, worship me!! Just kidding!! But I would appreciate if you reviewed ma fic! So, review!


	2. The Aftermath

**The Aftermath**

By Kireshai

Disclaimer: Nup. Not mine, sorry. Neither is Yugioh.

Warnings: M-preg, swearing.

Rating: PG13

A\N: This is the long awaited sequel to 'Only once isn't enough' and, because I couldn't think of anything more original, this story is called: 'The Aftermath'. Basically; what happened next.

* * *

Last time on Yugioh™(WTF? I think I got it wrong...): 

Harry flinched at the words, but spoke. "Well, because of that night..." Harry looked directly into his eyes. "I'm pregnant"

* * *

"Holy Christ." The words escaped from Severus Snape's mouth before he could stop them. He hadn't intended to blaspheme, and especially not in front of a student, but, well... "You cannot be telling the truth, Potter." 

"Professor, I'm being serious. Look." The boy lifted his shirt, revealing a stomach obviously rounded by pregnancy.

Severus stared at the bump, feeling suddenly faint. "Oh, Fuck..." He felt himself falling as he spoke. As he hit the floor, and the black took him, he could see a face. The face of his worst nightmares come to life.

"Professor!! Hello? PROFESSOR!!!" Severus shrank away from the voice. The young, charming voice that was causing him pain in his eardrums. The voice that had spoken to him with such kind words once, when he was young and foolish. The voice belonging to... but, he was dead. And then Severus remembered. It wasn't his voice. It was the other one's. And the other one was... 

"Oh lord, kill me now..." Severus muttered, begrudging his fate, and stubbornly keeping his eyes closed, in the hope that it might all disappear.

"Professor, you're awake!" The voice came from above him, and it was still too loud.

"Don't be silly Potter. People can only ever talk in their sleep." Severus sat up, opening his eyes and glaring witheringly at the boy next to him.

"Huh?" The tousle-haired boy blinked, then smiled sheepishly. "Oh, right. _Sarcasm_."

"I'm glad six years of my teachings haven't gone to total waste then." Severus flicked a strand of oily hair away from his face irritably. "You can now recognise sarcasm. Well done."

"You know, professor." Harry grinned unabashedly down at him. "It may have been sarcastic and badly intentioned, but that's the first compliment you've ever given me."

Severus damned himself for giving the boy something so easy to throw at him and stood, grimacing at muscles sore from his fall. "Be sure that it will be the last. Now, leave my office and my person in peace."

"But sir-"

"No buts, Potter, you will remove yourself from this room or I shall do it for you." Severus took his wand menacingly from his pocket and brandished it testily at the boy. "Comprende?"

"Yes." Harry hung his head, tears beginning to leak from his eyes.

"Yes. Sir."

Harry bit back his retort, feeling the sense of Deja vu sweeping through him. "Yes sir." Keeping his head low, he walked slowly from the room, sniffling as he closed the dark wooden door.

* * *

Severus sighed deeply as he sank into his chair, a tumbler of scotch nestled safely in his long-fingered hand. He let the events of the evening sink in, and decided that this was going to take a lot of scotch to get over this one. He took a swig of the alcoholic beverage, and pondered his imminent death. At least, once the headmaster found out. He was in a whole lot of very deep and rather odourous faeces. 

Looking around his room, he started to think out his own eulogy, because really, who else would write it for him? 'Recently deceased, Severus Snape, who drank the wine, but unfortunately enough, it was the wrong vintage.' That seemed good. At least it would keep the buggers puzzling for a while.

As he drifted of into a doze, Severus smiled, oddly triumphant that his downfall would likely cause another some little amount of trouble. After all, that was what he did best.

* * *

Severus' back ached. In fact, Severus' everything ached. He realised that might have had something to do with the fact that he seemed to have spent all night sleeping in a chair. He stood, cursing his foolish choice to drink himself to sleep, and walked warily towards the bathroom. 

Once fully cleaned and dressed, Severus glanced at his timetable for the day. First up, he noticed, was Gryffindor sixth year Defence Against the Dark Arts. Just his luck, the author was being a bitch and making him face his problems first thing in the morning. He scowled, before plastering his face with his usual glare, preparing himself for the trial to come.

As he walked into the Defence classroom, Severus felt the eyes of all his students upon him. He glared angrily at them all, blaming them for all his problems in life. As he reached his desk, he turned dramatically towards his class, his long black robes whirling in an arc to follow him.

"Good morning class. Today we will once again be studying the use of wordless magic." Severus retrieved his wand from within his cloak, and listened as his class hurried to retrieve their own from the collection of bags, robes, jumpers, desks and back pockets. "And if I ever see a person carrying their wand in their back pockets again, I will personally hex their buttocks off, just to save them the trouble of doing it themselves." Severus watched gleefully as the children gulped, envisioning the prospect of no longer being in possession of their arses.

"Thank you. Now, you all know how it goes. Pair up, and try to disarm your partner without speaking, the other person will try to shield themselves without speaking. You should all know these spells by now." The class hurried into action, and he smirked, pleased. "Oh, and anyone caught speaking will be silenced. Irreversibly." Severus loved threatening his class.

Severus walked amongst his pupils as they began to work, and stopped them occasionally to give directions. There were no disturbances and soon the lesson had almost passed when Severus heard shouting coming from the side of the classroom occupied by the 'Gryffindor Golden Trio'.

"Harry!" Ron shouted, worried straining his voice. "Harry, what's wrong? Professor, something happened to Harry."

Severus strode swiftly to the cause of the disturbance, to find Harry lying on the floor, writhing in pain with Ron and Hermione above him, faces white with concern. "Weasley, what did you do to Mr Potter?"

Ron looked up at him, freckles standing out against his blanched face. "I don't know sir, I was trying to hex him, but nothing happened and he just fell to the ground in pain."

Severus nodded, showing his understanding, which caused Ron to start in astonishment. "Sir? Aren't you going to punish me?"

"No." Severus grinned inside, amused by the boy's bad opinion of him. "You will go to Madame Pomfrey and tell her I am bringing Potter up to the hospital wing. Quickly."

"Yes Professor." Ron still looked confused as he scampered away, intent on doing Severus' bidding for the first time in his life.

Severus picked the writhing form of Harry Potter up, astonished at just how little the sixteen year old actually weighed. Turning to the door, and his class, he barked, "I will take Mr Potter to the hospital wing. Class is dismissed, pack up your belongings and exit the classroom in an orderly fashion."

Severus then swept from the room and walked briskly to the hospital wing, receiving odd looks from those students and teachers whom he passed. As he reached the wing, Madame Pomfrey bustled up to him, pointing distractedly at one of the beds whilst she examined the boy still writhing within Severus' arms.

Once the boy was on the bed, Madame Pomfrey ran her wand over him, diagnosing any medical problems. As Severus watched, she dropped her wand in shock, and gasped. She turned quickly to him, showing the astonishment obvious on her face. "Severus, Harry's... He's pregnant!"

A/N: Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Now you have to read even more!!! Nya ha ha ha!!! Actually, I wasn't intending to make another chapter, but now I have to, so, there will be another chapter, eventually. Still, in the meantime, why don't you REVIEW?


	3. The Repercussions

**The Repercussions.**

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine!!! Never was!!!

Warnings: M-preg, swearing, HBP spoilers.

Rating: PG13, or T.

A\N: Third in this absolutely barmy series is: this story. surprise surprise. Now, we get to find out the reactions by certain other people. YaY!! Repercussions!!! Fun!

* * *

Last time on OOIE:

Once the boy was on the bed, Madame Pomfrey ran her wand over him, diagnosing any medical problems. As Severus watched, she dropped her wand in shock, and gasped. She turned quickly to him, showing the astonishment obvious on her face. "Severus, Harry's... He's pregnant!"

* * *

"So it would seem." Severus spoke coldly, a twinge of sarcasm evident in his deep voice.

Poppy Pomfrey grimaced, bending gracefully to pick up her dropped wand. "That comment was hardly helpful, Severus. However, judging from your reaction, you knew of this before he was brought here?" Damn, that woman was sharp.

"Your assumptions would be correct, Poppy." Severus kept his mask in place, hoping beyond hope that no awkward questions would be asked.

The medi-witch in front of him snorted, amused by his stern manner. "As courteous as ever, Severus." She turned to the boy on the bed, and fussed over him momentarily. "And you knew of this pregnancy, how?" As she spoke the last word, Madame Pomfrey looked directly into his eyes, as if determined to scare a response from him.

Severus smirked, completely unintimidated by this tactic. "He TOLD me, Poppy."

"Is that so?" Madame Pomfrey spoke rather absently, having already turned her attention back to the pregnant boy. "And did he TELL you, pray tell, who the other parent is?"

Just the question Severus had no intention of answering. "Ask the boy yourself, Poppy. I'm not a newspaper. I contain no tabloids. I-"

"I get the picture." Madame Pomfrey bustled away, returning a few seconds later with a potion bottle in hand. "Well, if that is all you are willing to tell, I would ask you to leave."

Severus nodded in understanding, and strode reluctantly towards the door. As he reached the threshold, however, Madame Pomfrey called his name. He turned towards her, cocking an elegant eyebrow questioningly.

"If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you alerted the headmaster. I could use his assistance down here." Madame Pomfrey continued to mother the unconscious Harry Potter as she spoke.

"Your servant as always, ma'am." Severus enjoined sarcastically, placing a mock bow towards the medi-witch.

Severus exited the Hospital Wing and made short work of the journey to Dumbledore's office. He uttered the password- candy canes- icily, and proceeded to ascend the moving stairs, once again questioning the old man's sanity in his head. He rapped his knuckles against the door with the brass Griffin-shaped knocker, and was immediately bid to enter.

Dumbledore was sitting wearily at his desk, surrounded by his many whirring machines. His gimp hand was still blackened, but he had a twinkle in his eye that seemed never to snuff out. "Severus, my dear boy, please do sit. Sherbet Lemon?"

"No, thank you, Albus. I do not care for Sherbet Lemons." Severus' demeanor was as cool and reserved as ever, but inside he was screaming. 'Arrgh!' He thought. 'The sherbet lemons of death!!'

"Pity..." Albus mumbled, the disappointment evident in his grey face. "Well, what can I do for you today, m'boy?"

"I have a message from Madame Pomfrey." Severus intoned, eager to be free of the office and the Sherbet Lemons. "Harry Potter is pregnant and collapsed during my defence class. She would appreciate your help in talking to the little nitwit."

"You know better than to call him that, Severus."

"That's why I call him that."

Dumbledore sighed, entertained by the uncharacteristically immature behaviour Severus was displaying. "Very well. I'd best go and visit Harry." The old man stood, using the desk to support the weight that he couldn't. "If you wouldn't mind accompanying me there."

"Of course, Albus." As he spoke, Severus cursed the fates that he had been forced to be in the man's company for even longer. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, he took the unblackened hand offered him, and strode purposefully towards the large oak doors.

* * *

No incidents occurred during the walk to the Hospital Wing, and soon Dumbledore was safely in said room, sitting on a chair next to the bedridden form of Harry Potter. Severus turned to walk from the chamber, when he was once again called back; this time by Dumbledore. "If you don't mind, Severus, I'd rather you were present for this."

As he strode to stand beside Dumbledore as ordered, Severus muttered to himself angrily beneath his breath. He could have sworn that it was almost as if Dumbledore knew everything already. The old bastard.

Once Severus was at Dumbledore's side, Madame Pomfrey picked up a jar and unstoppered it, placing it below the boy's nose. "Smelling salts." The medi-witch spoke quietly, waiting for Harry to wake up.

The boy sniffed, and his eyes shot open. He looked rapidly at the faces around him, then started speaking at lightning speed. "Where am I? Oh, Madame Pomfrey! But... Why am I in the Hospital wing? And Professor Dumbledore! Is it Voldemort? Are Ron and Hermione okay? Snape? What are you doing here? And-"

"Ssh, Harry, it's okay. Nothing's wrong, Ron and Hermione are fine, and it's _Professor_ Snape to you." Dumbledore looked sternly at the boy as he admonished him, but that twinkle still lit his eyes.

"Sorry, sir." Harry pulled himself up into a sitting position, grimacing from the pain of stiff muscles. When he was upright, he spoke again. "So, sir, if there's nothing wrong, why am I here? And why do you all look so... grim?"

"You collapsed in Defence class. Or don't you remember?" Severus snarled nastily at the boy, thoroughly displeased with the situation.

"No. I don't. So there, _Professor_ Snape." Harry bit out the words, bothered by the way Severus was responding to him.

"Harry, we're all here because, when you were brought here, and Madame Pomfrey diagnosed you, she found that you were pregnant." Dumbledore smiled kindly at the boy. "Were you aware of this?"

Harry closed his eyes, and leaned his head against the wall behind him. "Yes, I was fully aware."

"I thought it might be so."

Severus snorted, amused. Upon an inquisitive look from the headmaster, he smirked, and explained himself. "Oh, come on. You 'thought' it might be so? Albus, you know everything that's going on. You knew he was pregnant, you knew he'd found out, and you knew he'd told me. You probably even know that I'm the fath-" Severus stopped himself, shocked that he'd said so much, but unfortunately not before the damage was done.

There was a crash of sound as Madame Pomfrey once again dropped her wand, as well as the smelling salts bottle that had still been nestled in her hand. As the shards of the bottle scattered across the stone floor, creating tiny waves of sound every time they impacted, the startled medi-witch yelled out in surprise, just in time for Ron and Hermione as they entered the hospital wing, intent on seeing their friend, to hear. "Severus! You're the father of Harry's child?!"

* * *

A\N: I think I see a bit of a pattern developing. And a bit of a long storyline as well. Now, the question is, will you review? 


	4. The Rejection

**The Rejection**

Disclaimer: I must once again repeat that I have no claim, no title, and certainly no money.

Warnings: M-preg, swearing.

Rating: PG-13 or T.

A\N: Ahhh... yet another chapter that is being made up on the spot. Y'know, it's possible that it may be wiser to plan this out, but, oh well. As always, enjoy my fiction.

* * *

Last time on _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_: 

"Severus, I'm pregnant." Harry whispered, looking up into his professor's dark eyes.

"You can't be bloody serious!" Severus muttered, getting all angsty.

Harry nodded, deadly serious.

"Oh, smeg."

Okay, I lie. But, who really cares?

* * *

Harry closed his eyes, afraid to see what would happen to the father of his child, now that Severus' big secret was out. As the bottle hit the floor, he winced, imagining that the bottle was soon to be Severus. He knew he couldn't bear that. After all, if Severus died... Harry didn't want to think about what would happen. 

As the bottle's shards bounced away across the floor, he brought his hands up to his ears, ready to block out Dumbledore's, or maybe even Madame Pomfrey's, yells as they told Severus just what they thought of him. However, the first voice he heard was not that of the headmaster, nor that of the medi-witch. But at the sound, his eyes snapped open, and he sprang up in the bed, white sheets flying akimbo.

"SNAPE!" Ron roared, his face red and his mouth snarling. "YOU DIRTY OLD... BASTARD! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HARRY!?" Ron launched himself forward, fists flying as he charged at the defence professor.

As Ron raced towards him, Severus remained oddly calm, arms crossed lazily in front of his chest. When the red-headed boy was a foot away from him, Severus whipped out his wand, pointed it at Ron and enunciated calmly. "_Protego_!"

Ron bounced against the magical shield, and sailed back into a surprised Hermione, causing them both to end up in a heap on the floor. Both teenagers sat up gingerly, rubbing sore backsides, as Ron spoke again. "That hurt, you asshole."

Severus smirked, silently congratulating himself on causing pain. "That hurt, you asshole, _sir_."

Ron glared up at the staggeringly tall man, glaring scornfully. "That hurt, you asshole, sir." He spat murderously.

Snape was cheering inside. The day had just become a whole lot better. "That'll be ten points from Gryffindor for insulting me twice, and thirty for attacking me."

Ron opened his mouth to speak again, but clamped it shut when Hermione nudged him insistently. Instead, he continued to glare at his professor from his seat on the Hospital Wing floor.

"Professor Snape, I don't mean to be rude, but this might not be the best time for that." Harry spoke clearly, an expression of annoyance gracing his pale features. "We should probably be explaining to Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey how this all happened."

"Right you are, Harry." Dumbledore smiled at the boy, reaching out to take his hand comfortingly. "Severus, please come sit down."

Severus turned to face Dumbledore and Harry, walking quickly to stand beside the headmaster, but showing plainly that he had no wish to sit.

Dumbledore sighed at this show of defiance, but smiled indulgently. "Suit yourself then, m'boy."

Momentarily forgotten, Ron and Hermione stood, trudging wearily to stand by their friend. Hermione looked concernedly at Harry, before lifting her gaze to meet Dumbledore's. "We would like to hear it too, if you don't mind." She announced unfalteringly. Beside her, Ron shifted his gaze between the people before him anxiously, unsure as to whether staying was really a good idea.

"Of course you may, if Harry wishes it." The twinkle in Dumbledore's eye seemed to be growing brighter. Harry could tell he was up to something.

"It's fine with me."

"Then Harry, you may begin." And he did. He recounted once again the events that had led to him being transported back in time. He told of his night spent those twenty years ago, and he pondered on the night he had told Severus. By the end of the tale, Ron was green, as if to be sick, and Hermione had tears in her soft brown eyes. Severus appeared as if bored out of his mind.

"Oh, Harry, that's so sweet." As she spoke, Hermione burst into tears, placing her head in her hands. Madame Pomfrey took her by the shoulders, and directed her to the nearest chair, intent on calming her down.

Severus made a noise of disgust, and commented drily. "Women like her are the reason I'm gay."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Severus, try to have a little sensitivity. After all, you will need it when the baby comes. Being a father is a very emotional experience" He seemed completely unangered by the story he had just heard. In fact, he looked positively over the moon.

Severus turned to him, crossing him arms angrily across his chest. "You speak very familiarly of something you've never expereienced Albus, but I do not care if it is biologically mine. I will not acknowledge it as my child. No matter that what Potter says is true."

"Are you saying that you won't support me, Sir?"

"That is exactly what I am saying, Potter. It is your baby. Not mine. I may have somehow helped create it, but I neither want or need it. I would prefer infinitely for you to abort it, but that is, unfortunately, not my decision. Now, if you don't mind, I will return to my office, so that I may get some work done before the next class." At the conclusion of his speech, Severus turned swiftly, and strode from the room.

As his defence professor swept from the room, Harry rolled onto his side, curling up into the foetal position. He closed his eyes, and tried to stop the tears that had begun to leak from them.

Dumbledore stood, shifting his attention to the still green Ron, who appeared to be in some sort of trance. The headmaster smiled his indulgent smile, and shuffled towards the boy, before placing a hand in his shoulder.

Ron started, sitting bolt upright, and started to chatter. "I wasn't sleeping, Professor, I was just resting my eyes. I would never sleep in potions class. I promise, never."

"It's okay, Mr Weasley. Professor Snape is gone. And you must go to your next class. Lunch hour is nearly over." Dumbledore patted Ron on the shoulder, calming the frenzied boy.

Ron nodded, and stood, before exiting the hospital wing with Hermione beside him. As they reached the door, the pair looked back at Harry and bid him goodbye, promising fervently to return after dinner.

Once the two had departed, Dumbledore returned to his chair, sinking gratefully into it, as if the short period of standing had been a great chore for him. He turned his face to Madame Pomfrey, and commented wearily. "You should take a rest Poppy. You have had quite a shocking day."

"And what of yourself, Albus?"

"I will keep watch on Harry for the time being. There is more which I need to discuss with him in private."

Madame Pomfrey nodded. "Very well, Albus. I will return in an hour, unless I receive another invalid before then." The medi-witch turned, and walked the short distance to her office, closing the door quietly behind her.

Harry, who had heard the entirety of the exchange, spoke quietly from his curled-up position. "I don't wish to talk, Professor."

"But you must, Harry. You cannot just wallow in this new misery. If you do that, we can never solve it." Dumbledore whispered the words, keeping his gazed fixed on Harry.

Harry sniffed pathetically. "Well, what do you want to tell me?" He said bitterly, refusing to change position.

"Not tell you, but ask you. Harry, do you love Severus?"

At this, Harry began to sob hysterically. Dumbledore placed a hand on the weeping boy's arm, but it was shrugged roughly away, before the boy rolled to face the other side of the bed. His body convulsed in perfect timing with the sobbing sounds that still drifted across the bed.

Dumbledore said nothing, but simply waited as the boy cried himself out. Eventually, the sobbing stopped, and the only sound was the occasional hiccough, echoing around the empty room. When the at last the hiccoughs died down, Dumbledore once again spoke.

"Harry, I need to know. You must tell me."

"You want to know if I love him, Professor?" Harry's weak voice barely reached the headmaster's ears. But still a note of strength rang through it. "Why do you think I'm carrying his baby?"

* * *

There we go... a really different chapter. Why'd I make Snape leave? I was getting sick of writing him. Anyway, why don't you review? 


	5. The Waiting

**The Waiting**

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all. A happy hobo I am, I am, a happy hobo I am.

Warnings: m-preg, swearing, and most probably a great deal of angst this chapter.

Rating: PG-13 or T.

A\N: Chapter five already... wow. Anyway, sorry for the crappy last chapter, and sorry for the random this chapter. Anyway, I'm gonna do some review replies, 'cos I can.

Book 7 spoilers - You put any more fucking spoilers in my stories, and they will cease to be written. I WILL remove all my Harry Potter stories from this site, and you will no longer have the pleasure of enjoying them.

Momo - It's not that he's pregnant on purpose. But, he's keeping the baby 'cos he loves snape. Harry is not THAT evil. Just a little... odd.

Shampoo147 - Yeah, he is, but he has a right to be a bit annoyed.

Jordanne - Why yes.

Kindali Sideria - You insult me!! My fanfiction is not that bad. Otherwise, thanks for your support.

And that's all I'm going to reply to. By the way, this story is probably going to get more emotional, because it's starting to develop an actual plot. Sorry to all the humour lovers...

* * *

Last time: 

"My name is Harry Potter, you killed my father, prepare to die!" Harry brandished his wand at the snake-like man before him.

"Stop saying that!" Voldemort hissed, eyes shining in fiery anger.

"My name is Ha-"

"STOP SAYING THAT!!"

Just kidding. That's the Princess bride.

* * *

Dumbledore smiled softly as the boy divulged his feelings, even if unwillingly. He reached out and placed his hand on the boy's head, stroking the soft hair in a father-like gesture of affection. "I'm glad to hear it, Harry." 

"How so?" Harry once again sat up to stare incredulously at the headmaster. "He just rejected me, remember?"

"He did, but you will find that he will need your love in the near future." Dumbledore patted Harry's hand, absently staring off in contemplation.

"Why, professor?" Harry prompted, eager to hear more, and slightly worried by the expression on the headmaster's face. "Professor?"

Dumbledore's eyes suddenly shot back to Harry's face, and he smiled reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Harry, I was thinking." The old man stood, and started to shuffle towards the door.

"But, Professor Dumbledore! You haven't told me why!" Harry yelled, frantically throwing the bedcovers from himself and thudding to the floor in an attempt to run after the headmaster.

"That is because I can't, Harry. Now, rest. Madame Pomfrey will be in again soon to check on you, and I will announce your condition to the school at dinner. Forgoing, of course, Professor Snape's involvement in the whole affair." Having spoken, Dumbledore quickened his pace, shuffling almost frantically from the room.

Harry lay back down on the bed, hoping wistfully that Dumbledore would not release his state to the general public of the school. Unfortunately enough for Harry, he did. And the months following turned out to be some of the worst he had experienced yet at Hogwarts.

* * *

Harry sighed as he lay beneath the tree by the side of the lake, and watched as the giant squid played a game of tag with a group of second years running about on the opposite shore. He shifted his weak body, looking for the most comfortable position amongst the roots and grass. The slight movement, however, caused him more discomfort in the form of pain that erupted from his navel. The sixteen year old groaned, and spoke quietly to his rounded stomach. "Yes, I know, you don't want to be disturbed now, but frankly, sweetie, I have just as much right to be comfortable as you do. After all, I'm doing all the work." 

His movement continued until he found a nice position, then he lay back gratefully against the white trunk behind him. The pregnancy was not going well. Nearly five months in, and he could hardly hold himself up any more. The baby seemed to sap away all his strength, leaving him with enough energy to barely stay awake. He also found that his magic was often in short supply.

Turning his head to the look at the castle, he spotted two figures walking briskly towards him across the grounds. He kept his eyes on them as they approached, and soon identified them as Ron and Hermione. Soon, they were but feet away from him, and he sat up wearily, pulling himself backwards to lean painfully against the tree.

"Hey, Harry. Still in pain?" Ron asked as he and Hermione reached Harry.

"As much as ever," Harry replied bitterly.

"I'm sure it will ease sooner or later." Hermione sat herself gracefully on the ground beside him. "I've been reading about it, and discomfort is expected, but it also said that it recedes every so often." Hermione had done nothing but research pregnancy over the last two months.

"Have you found any books on male pregnancies yet?" Harry closed his eyes, trying to ignore the slight pain that was still nagging him.

"I'm afraid not," Hermione said dejectedly. It seemed her beloved library had failed her once again. "It's seems to be a very rare occurrence."

"Great, Harry Potter, the boy who lived to do the things nobody else has. Again."

"Cheer up, Harry. It could be worse." Ron enjoined cheerily.

"Yeah? How?"

"You could be married to Snape, for example," Ron joked, then realised his mistake, and stuttered out, "not that it's a bad thing!"

Hermione scowled at Ron, poking him angrily in the arm. Harry turned to look away from the two of them, attempting to conceal the tears springing to life in his eyes. He could be married to Severus. What a wonderful idea. At least if they were married, Severus wouldn't want to reject him. Hopefully.

Harry's attempt to hide his tears from his friends was to no effect, however. Hermione caught a glimpse, and immediately threw her arms about him, crooning softly to him whilst rubbing his back in a circular pattern. Ron gritted his teeth furiously, silently cursing his most hated professor.

"I can't believe you're putting up with this Harry," Ron spat out, anger simmering in his words, "that bastard won't even give you the time of day, and you're carrying his child!"

At his words, Harry's body began to wrack with sobs, and Hermione sent a death glare towards the red-headed boy standing above them. "Ronald Weasley! I cannot believe you just said that!" The witch hissed venomously.

"Mother much, Hermione?"

"ESCUSE ME?" Hermione's voice was reaching that danger tone, and Harry stilled his sobs, looking up in expectance of Ron being pwned.

Ron grinned wryly. "I was only joking, Hermione."

"Now is NOT the time to joke."

Harry started to grin, watching the flushed faces of his friends avidly. He suppressed a sudden onslaught of laughter.

"Can't you see that Harry's very upset?" At mention of him, both Ron and Hermione turned their heads to look at Harry, to find him grinning at them.

"No, I can't," Ron muttered, "he looks perfectly fine to me."

Harry saw the cross look on Hermione's face, and couldn't help but burst into laughter upon seeing it. After a minute of chuckles, he calmed his breathing to speak with difficulty. "It's just... you guys... can... fight about... anything..." As he finished his sentence, his head started to spin, and he felt himself falling to his side as the world went black.

* * *

Harry woke to the red-gold of twilight. Looking around himself he saw once again the bleak colours of the hospital wing. Suddenly, he panicked, springing up into a sitting position, but he was forced down again straight away by the pain that hit his navel. He groaned, bemoaning his terrible condition, and placed a hand over the area that troubled him. 

As he lay there, Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room, holding her wand tightly in her right hand. She rushed to his side and spoke to him. "What's wrong Mr Potter? Where does it hurt?"

Harry pointed at his navel. "Right there. It won't go away."

Madame Pomfrey shook her head disdainfully. "Well, I'm afraid I can't do anything for you Mr Potter, not when it's to do with the pregnancy. But I do believe you can do something for yourself. You have been overexerting yourself far too much lately," Madame Pomfrey admonished, "you need to take better care of yourself, or neither you or this baby will survive."

Harry found it hard to listen through the pain, but he kept his concentration on her, taking in every word she said. "So, do you think this pain is because I'm not eating enough?"

"Not eating enough, Potter? Of course not. You're eating fine. But you push yourself too hard, both physically and emotionally. You know, Ms Granger does tell me everything that goes on with you. Lord, but that girl has some sense." Madame Pomfrey smiled at her rather lame and unobvious joke. "You need to stop being so depressed. In one so magical, it adversely affects the baby."

"But I'm not depressed, Madame Pomfrey."

"Maybe not on the surface, but go just a little way down, and I think you'll find that you're one sad person, who needs to have a talk with someone. Preferably a tall, dark, potions mastery someone."

"I cannot believe you just said that." Harry was staring at the medi-witch, transfixed by this transformation of character.

"What? It's not my fault if the author decided to make me out of character. Besides, I'm not the one with problems here. You are." After speaking, Madame Pomfrey flicked her wand, muttering a _lumos_, and igniting the flames of the candles within the darkening room. "That's much better." She looked at a clock on the wall. "Six thirty. If you hurry now, you could just catch dinner. Mr Weasley and Ms Granger will be there. I refused to let them stay here with you and skip dinner."

Harry nodded. "All right. Thanks, Madame Pomfrey, I'll do that." Warily, he slid his legs off the bed and placed his feet on the floor. Standing straight, he smiled at the woman before him. "See you again, I suppose."

"I would hope not, but it is inevitable, Mr Potter." At her words, Harry started to walk towards the door, but he was stopped in his tracks by what she said next. "You need to talk to Professor Snape, Harry." Just what he didn't need.

* * *

As always, review. 


	6. The Death

**The Death**

Disclaimer: It's not mine!!! I keep on telling you, but you don't seem to listen!

Warnings: m-preg, swearing, character death. twice, I guess.

Rating: PG-13.

A\N: And now it's chapter six. First, tho' he's defence prof, Snape is still a potions master. Second, this chapter toes along with HBP storyline, so.. Reading HBP might be useful. Last, _italicised_ speech/text is stolen from the book

* * *

"Did Ron tell you about your father?" James shouted at the dark-haired boy hanging from a precipice before him. 

The dark-haired boy clambered onto the platform, light-wand in hand. "He told me enough. He told me you killed him!" He lashed out after speaking, but James was too quick.

"Harry, Lucius Malfoy is your father!" James spoke triumphantly.

"It can't be! It's not possible!" Harry gasped, dropping his light-wand in disbelief.

"Search your feelings, you know it to be true," James said mockingly.

"Noo!!" Harry shouted mournfully, "Drarry is ruined forever!"

And now, the actual story. (Is it me, or was that weirder than usual?)

* * *

Harry was running as fast as he could towards the stone gargoyle. His heart was thumping, and he could hardly believe the words that had just spilled from between Professor Trelawny's lips. Snape was the betrayer, the hearer of the prophecy. The emotion filled Harry, and he wanted to cry in hurt and pain. 

He reached the gargoyle, and yelled, "gummy guts." The statue hopped aside, allowing him to ascend the moving staircase, and push his way into the large office full of whirring silver objects. Harry could see Dumbledore standing rigidly by the window, his gimp hand in full view, as he stared out at the grounds. Before Harry could say anything, he murmured, _"well, Harry, I promised that you could come with me."_

Harry stopped. He couldn't understand what Dumbledore meant. _"Come... with you...?"_

"_Only if you wish it, of course."_

"_If I..."_

_And then Harry remembered_, the search for the horcruxes. The reason Harry had intended to see Dumbledore. "So, you've found one then..."

"Yes."

Harry nodded grimly. "When?"

"Tonight"

"I guess I'll get ready, then," Harry said sulkily. His recent emotions swamping him as the confusion wore off.

"Harry, are you all right?" The silver eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Is there something bothering you?"

"It's nothing," Harry lied.

"Do not lie to me, Harry."

"It's... Severus!" Harry blurted instantly. All the emotions he had felt came out at once. "Why didn't you tell me that he was the one who told Voldemort? I had to find out from Trelawney!!"

Dumbledore grimaced. "_Professor_ Trelawney, Harry."

"FUCK THAT!"

"Harry!" Dumbledore glared at the boy disapprovingly, a rare expression on his grey face.

Harry stared at him stubbornly, before yelling once again. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT HE DID IT!! THAT YOU LET HIM TEACH!! THAT YOU LET ME L-" But Harry couldn't say it. Couldn't admit to it. Not now, now that he knew.

"Let you love him?" Dumbledore pushed quietly.

"Don't you dare speak of it," Harry spat, "how could you let it happen?"

Dumbledore smiled lightly. "Everybody needs somebody to love."

"Well, my name's Harry, not everybody, so, that's not a really good excuse." Calming himself down, Harry wiped away the tears that had leaked out without him noticing, and looked up expectantly at Dumbledore. "Anyway, what about tonight?"

"Ah, yes. I will take you with me. On one condition. You will do everything that I tell you to do."

"But, Prof-"

"No buts, Harry, you will promise to obey all orders."

"Yes, professor Dumbledore."

"Good, then go get your things, and I will meet you here in ten minutes." Dumbledore pushed him lightly in the direction of the door.

Harry walked slowly to his dorm, the emotions still bubbling beneath the surface, but controlled. He had no idea what he was going to do, but at least that night he might have something to take his mind off it.

* * *

All the stuff in the cave happens, and the astronomy tower stuff has mostly happened. Btw, yes, harry is still preggers. Sorry, can't be damned to write it all out.

* * *

Harry watched Snape point his wand at the headmaster, unwilling to believe it to be true. He watched shock as the man spoke the spell, and the jet of green light shot from his dark wand. He gaped as the light hit the headmaster, and he screamed as the binding spell released him, and the man who had meant so much to him fell from the tall parapet, to land on the ground with a sickening crunch unheard, many metres below. 

The anger filled him as Snape yelled at the other death eaters, ordering them to run, and he took his wand from his pocket, ready to curse Snape, but suddenly pain filled his world, and he was on the ground writhing in pain. It was not the cruciatus curse. It was so much worse. It came from within him, reaching places that a curse never could. It reached to his very soul.

He was dimly aware of voices, of Draco yelling for Snape to follow, of Snape replying in some kind, and then strong arms were around him, and the pain was subsiding. Harry opened his eyes, and saw a pale face above him, with a nose the size of Mt Everest scant millimetres away from his own. "Severus, I hate you," Harry whispered, struggling against the arms. "Lemme go, you murderer!" He raised his voice, emotion straining it completely.

"No, Harry," Severus admonished, "calm down."

Harry's anger flared. How dare SNAPE act like that, right after killing Dumbledore. He wrenched away, stumbling to his feet, and whirled around to point his wand at Snape. "Don't talk to me like that, you bastard! You killed him, after all he did for you! You coward!"

Snape's eyes flashed in anger, and he stood, staring furiously at the boy. "_Don't,_" he yelled, "_call me coward!_"

Harry opened his mouth, ready to scream a curse he was sure would inflict great amounts of pain, but he was stopped as Snape quickly disarmed him, before spinning and running from the tower.

As Snape disappeared, Harry's strength vanished, and he fell to his knees, sinking to the ground as blackness took him.

* * *

Harry once again woke to the familiar sights of the hospital wing. As he sat, he spoke sarcastically to himself. "Maybe I should just move in here permanently." 

"Maybe you should, Mr Potter. At least, you would find it harder to injure yourself if you did," Madame Pomfrey said as she bustled over to him in her bustly way.

"Madame Pomfrey." Harry smiled sadly. "So, what's the diagnosis?"

"I'm afraid, Mr Potter.." Madame Pomfrey bit her bottom lip anxiously. "That I have some rather bad news."

"Let me guess, I'm so well that I'll be able to leave straight away, and injure myself yet again!" Harry's voice was wavering, the fear that had suddenly sprung on him impossible to hide.

"Mr Potter, when you witnessed the headmaster's death, well, you went through a lot of emotional stress, and it has caused your..." Madame Pomfrey made a slight sob. "Your baby... has died."

Harry's heart froze. Madame Pomfrey was continuing to speak to him, but he didn't listen. Instead, he closed his eyes, hoping to quell the tears that were sure to come. He sat, and listened only to the beating of his aching heart, ripped apart by death and destruction.

* * *

Well, was that a stunner? Or totally predictable? Let me know!! 


	7. The Encounter

**The Encounter**

Disclaimer: This is not mine!!! I swear by almighty jeebus.

Warnings: m-preg, swearing, mentions of character death, angstyness.

Rating: PG-13.

A/N: Yes, my comedy just turned into a tragedy. But you can be sure I'll make light of it. In a cruel and unkind way. Also, from now on, canon means absolutely nothing. 'Canon? I laugh in the face of canon!'

* * *

Harry ran to the railing, staring at the open ocean before him. "It's so beautiful, Jack." 

"Who's Jack?" Severus queried.

"Errr... No-one."

Severus stepped forward, taking the smaller hands on offer. "Close your eyes."

Harry did, and was led forward, gently pushed by the man behind him. He was lifted, and placed down with very little foothold.

"Do you trust me?" Snape whispered, and upon Harry's "yes," stretched their arms out to the side.

Harry opened his eyes, and revelled in the feeling of the wind against his body. "Jack, I'm flying!" It was bliss, with the wind running through is hair.

Suddenly, Snape stepped backwards, pulling Harry back with him. He turned the boy to face him. "Okay, level with me. Who the fuck is Jack?"

Not exactly how titanic was supposed to go, I imagine...

* * *

Harry felt empty inside. Always felt empty inside. As if, when his baby had died, it had decided that it had more need of his internal organs than him, and had taken them along for the ride. He was going through the many motions of his life, empty and completely unaware. 

His eyes focussed on the cake before him, taking in the fancy writing and seventeen lighted candles, and it clicked. He hadn't been keeping track of time, but now he knew. July the thirty-first, and his seventeenth birthday. Harry sighed, and the flames before him fluttered in the slight breeze. He looked ahead of him, viewing the many people standing there. And before he could speak, his ears were assaulted with a rowdy chorus of the birthday song.

He attempted to smile as he blew out the candles, but all he could manage was a grimace. He closed his eyes as his ears were assaulted by yet another rowdy chorus, this time of 'For he's a jolly good fellow'. As his friends concluded, he opened his eyes, grimacing once again. "Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate this..." He gestured towards the cake, the table laden with food in front of him. "And I'm sorry I've been so down this summer."

"That's all right, Harry dear." Mrs Weasley smiled at him in a way that made him feel like he was being observed, patronised. It angered him. Mrs Wealey continued. "After all, we're you're family."

At the last word, something in Harry seemed to snap. His smile, albeit a forced one, disappeared, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. He muttered angrily, "you're not my family!"

"What was that mate?" Questioned Ron, who, as well as all the other people in the room, had missed his words.

"I said: 'You're not my family'!" Harry spoke angrily, clearly, wanting to be heard.

"Of course we are dear." Mrs Weasley said soothingly. But not to Harry.

"YOU'RE NOT!" Harry yelled in frustration. "You never will be! And I have NEVER had a family!! Not a real one, not since before I can remember." Harry took a deep breath, looking at the shocked faces before him, before plundering on. "And here you all are, saying how much of a family we are, when the truth is that TWO MONTHS AGO I lost the chance to have the only real family I'd ever have. I lost my chance with the man I love, as well as an unborn child!"

Ron shook himself from his stupor to say, "You'll find someone else, Harry. Everyone does." He hoped to calm Harry down, but it only seemed to rile him up even more.

"You don't get it! He was the one! And it's not as if I can have another child! I'm gay! I'm never going to be able to procreate, not with the person I love. And don't think; 'Oh, you got pregnant before, you can do it again!' The only reason I was pregnant in the first place was because of the fouled-up potion. Nothing else. Not the power of love, magic, or my own sweet will. NOTHING!" As he blasted out the last word, he swept from the room, walking down the hall and throwing open the front door, waking Mrs Black in his rush. As he grabbed a cloak from the coat rack beside the door, and swept through the doorway, into the cold night, he could still hear her screams of mudbloods and traitors, echoing in he night. And as he apparated, he didn't know where he was going, only that he had to get away.

* * *

Severus felt empty inside. Always felt empty inside. As if, when he had left Harry alone like that, he had decided to give his internal organs to Harry as a parting gift. He was going through the many motions of his life, empty and completely unaware. 

Actually, not completely. Severus was, in fact, very aware of the bottle of brandy and its accompanying glass resting on the table before him, as he had been aware of the sixty odd bottles and glasses before them. The rest of the world, it is sad to say, was dead to Severus Snape, who spent his days in bed, his nights getting drunk, and the occasional evening being tortured by an evil snake-man for some reason or another.

He raised the brandy glass to his mouth, after raising it in a silent toast to himself. The glass hit his lips and Severus drank, downing the strong liquor in one gulp. Taking the bottle, he refilled his glass, and repeated his actions. As he once again refilled the glass, he lost some of the airtight control on his body, spilling the liquid onto the table as well as into his glass. He snarled in disgust at his own clumsiness, but nonetheless drank the glass of brandy that he had so clumsily poured.

He reached again for the bottle, but noticed that it was empty. In annoyance, Severus stood, stumbling over to the bar, with the barman standing behind it. "I wan' 'nother bottle!" He exclaimed.

The barman frowned at him. "No, mate, I think you've had enough."

Severus glared. "I said; 'Give me 'nother bottle!'"

The barman sighed in frustration. "And I said you've had enough." As he spoke, the barman came out from behind the bar, grabbing hold of Severus' weakened body and threw him out of the door onto the street.

Severus hit the ground and as he stood shakily, he heard the sound of a person apparating behind him. Curious as to whom would be stupid enough to apparate into the middle of muggle London under the reign of Lord Voldemort, he turned, and his breath caught in his throat as he saw the man before him.

"Harry," he whispered. Unable to believe the sight before him. "Harry."

* * *

Harry turned, seeking out the person who had whispered his name. And as he spotted Severus, he froze, unbelieving. He felt a surge of powerful emotion fill his heart. First love, and then an intense fear as he realised that the man before him was a danger. 

Harry shook his head, trying to clear it in preparation for apparition, but his efforts were halted when he felt a pair of strong, lean arms around him. He let out a squawk of protest, but the owner of the arms paid no attention to it.

"Oh, Harry," Severus sighed. "My Harry." Severus breathed in Harry's scent, relishing in the feeling that he longed for. Knowing it would last only until Harry gathered his senses and forced him away.

Harry shrugged Severus off, meeting little resistance from the intoxicated man. He glared as menacingly as he could, but felt his heart melting at the sight of Severus standing before him, bedraggled, intoxicated and barely aware of himself and his surroundings. Still, he held his resolve firmly. "What do you want, traitor?" He spat the words, shoving away the feelings he could feel surging up within himself.

Severus seemed confused and he was, unable to think properly in his drunken state. He felt his tongue loosening and he blurted out the emotions he had been suppressing for over six months. "I want to be wiv you 'Arry." As the alcohol worked its way through his system, his words began to slur as lost control of his speech. "I 'Ave for ages. But, I knew dat it was too dang'rous, so I lieded... I told you dat I di'nt love you so you'd be safe... And now, here we are, de two ov us, and I can' ever be wiv you, 'cos I've destwoyed i' all. 'M sowwy 'Arry." As he finished his speech, he collapsed, unconscious on the pavement.

Harry looked down in disgust at the man before him, and decided that he would take his chance. He removed his wand from his robes, and pointed it at Severus, lying peacefully on the pavement. And as he once again secluded himself from all emotion, he prepared to rid the world of Severus Snape.

* * *

A/N I know!! Really hard to read. If you have issues with deciphering drunk snape, let me know and I'll fiddle with it. And don't forget to review! 


	8. The Prisoner

**The Prisoner**

Disclaimer: It is, under no circumstances, mine.

Warnings: swearing, mention of previous character death, m-preg, hbp spoilers, poor taste in humour.

Rating: PG-13

A/N: I'm sorry, all readers still waiting for this chapter, that I have taken so long. I have had an absence of muse for the last 6 months. Complete absence. This is also getting rather long and serious, so if you joined on for some lighthearted humour, I'm going to advise you to stop reading.

* * *

--Last time on this story:--

Severus was fidgeting, and he gave off a feeling of agitation. He glanced quickly up at the young man before him, before blurting out, "you must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you. I beg you, most fervently, to relieve my suffering, and consent to be mine."

Harry's face held only shock, that such a cold, apparently unfeeling man could hold such a passion for him. "I have never desired your good opinion, and you have certainly bestowed it most unwillingly. I have every reason in the world to think ill of you. Do you think any consideration would tempt me to accept the man who's been the means of ruining the happiness of a most beloved friend? I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever marry!"

"Who said anything about marriage?" Severus smirked, stalking towards Harry, all nervousness gone. "I'm offering something much better."

"Wha-?" Harry blushed as he comprehended the implication. "Oh, sure, I'll fuck you."

--I wish...--

* * *

Severus' head felt like it was on fire. It was agony, the pain and the throbbing heat. It seemed to fill all of his awareness. He curled in on himself, hoping vainly that if he curled tight enough, the awful pain in his head would go away. He strained his memory to find why he was in such pain.

As he searched through his mind, faint images came to him. He remembered drinking. He remembered drinking _a lot_. He concentrated harder, ignoring the new pain it brought about. He remembered being thrown out of the bar, and he remembered running into Harry Potter. And he remembered...

Severus sat up abruptly, eyes wide open, despite the pain it caused. "Oh, bollocks!"

"I should've known that you'd say something like that as soon as you woke." The voice was clipped, cool and sarcastic. It was a tone that Severus was not used to hearing, yet the voice itself seemed familiar. Severus turned his head towards the voice, wincing slightly as yet more pain came in the form of a stiff neck, and came face to face with a rather amused Harry Potter. Typical. "How's the head?"

Severus glared at Harry, certain that Harry knew perfectly well how his head would be feeling, and certain also that it was the reason that Harry was speaking so damn loudly. His glare seemed to have no impact on Harry, who just smirked back with his, admittedly, perfect mouth. His green eyes glinting with untold mirth.

Severus sniped at Harry, "worse than usual, but definitely in better shape than yours has ever been." He dragged his hands through his hair, which he noticed was rather bedraggled.

"Touché." Harry stood from a chair that he had been sitting on, forcing Severus to look upwards. "I'm glad to see that you didn't lose your sense of humour, as well as your worth and dignity, when you murdered Dumbledore."

Severus snarled at the insult, but refrained from speaking when he noticed the magically warded chain connecting his left ankle to one of the posts of the bed he seemed to have been sleeping in. "So, am I a prisoner?" He questioned tacitly.

"Yes." The one word reply was followed by an angry crossing of the arms.

"Chaining me to a bed, Potter? I never knew you were so kinky." Snape glared at the boy riled by the one word answer.

"Well, I must be pretty kinky, seeing as sleeping with you's borderline bestiality." The snipe was accompanied by a smirk.

Severus marked the insult with a glare. "And I've been here for?" He could feel his head starting to pound more, probably from all the glaring.

"Two days." Harry walked away from Severus, towards a door Severus hadn't noticed in the corner of the small dark room.

"When you saw me, why didn't you kill me?" Severus enquired loudly, leaning forward, which caused the throbbing in his head to heighten yet again.

At Severus' question, Harry stopped, but he didn't turn around. Instead, he turned his head, so that all Severus could see was a profile of the beautiful face. "I don't bother with cowards." And with those words he paced from the room, his form straight and stiff.

"Don't call me coward," Severus whispered as Harry swept from the room.

Left alone in his quasi-prison, Severus felt that a pain relief potion was in short order. The problem; there was no possibility of it coming. He groaned and closed his eyes as he lay back down on the bed, feeling the coarseness of the sheets on his back. Then it struck him, and he reopened his eyes, looking downwards to see something he hadn't noticed in Harry's presence. He was naked. And rather willing it so turned out, which might explain why Harry had been so smugly amused by him.

It was a bit of a shock for Severus. He hadn't woken with one for years. Not since he was a pubescent teenager, in most likelihood. Which begged the question, why now?

Severus groaned as he once again closed his eyes. How embarrassing could his life get? It seemed that his sins so far had been to get blind drunk, confess undying love to a boy who wanted to kill him, and then show off his morning glory for Harry to see. Thinking about how bad his life was seemed to be rather unconstructive in the effort of pain relief, so Severus calmed himself, breathing in and out slowly, and let his mind wander.

* * *

In the room next door, Harry Potter listened as his prisoner's breathing went from slightly erratic to serene, and smiled. He was sure this would happen. Snape would get worked up, and then force himself to be calm. So in character. Severus always had to be in control.

After a few minutes of listening to the steady breathing of his former potions professor, he picked up the Daily Prophet, and sat on a chair against the wall, accidentally jostling the table beside it, and causing a small vial of murky brown liquid to roll once over and then stop, the contents splashing noiselessly.

He began to turn the pages of the prophet, searching for anything that would remove his attention from the greasy git in the other room. But it wasn't working. He kept on thinking of what had happened two days ago. Harry had been ready, poised to kill him, so why hadn't he gone through with it? Maybe Bellatrix had been right a year ago, on the night that Sirius had died, about him being too soft to kill.

He remembered bringing up his wand, pointing it at the traitorous bastard, and thinking those hateful thoughts. He had thought that he must be able to do it, with all those angry feelings inside him, but when he'd opened his mouth and spoken the words, all that had happened was that his wand had given off a bit of a green spark and he'd had a funny sensation up and down his arm.

That failure had made him realise something. Bellatrix Lestrange had said that, to use an unforgivable, you had to have the will to use it. And therein lay Harry's problem. Even with all his anger and hate, he still loved the bastard.

Harry's hands clenched as he followed his train of thought, scrunching the edges of the newspaper he was holding. He realised what he was doing, and growled in self annoyance, placing the paper down on the table to smooth the edges and bumping the vial in the process. This time, it rolled more than the one turn, slowing, but coming dangerously close to the edge of the table. It came almost to a stop a millimetre from the edge of the table, but then an agitated twitch of Harry's hands sent it flying over the edge to crash on the hard stone floor.

The crash of the smashing vial shocked Harry to his feet, and he stared in dismay at the mess of murky brown liquid and shattered glass on the floor. He sighed in frustration, and crossed the room to exit through a dark door that was almost invisible against the dark stone walls. He came back into the room carrying a cloth, and bent down to clean up the mess.

* * *

The crash had distracted Severus from his zen-like state. His eyes shot open, quickly adjusting to the semi-darkness of the room, and taking in the drab colour of the ceiling. He sat up quickly, searching his surroundings for the source of the noise, but found them to be sorely lacking. He slid forward until his legs were hanging off the bed, and noticed that the chain attached to his left leg seemed to have the ability to lengthen and shorten.

He scanned the room, searching for clothes, and damning his drinking habits as his headache returned from the turning of his head. He could see no wearable attire, so Severus wrapped the sheet barely covering his dignity around his body, tying it together like a toga. He walked stiffly towards the door that he had seen Harry leave through earlier, noticing another door next to it, and wondering where it led to. Instead of satisfying his curiosity, he wrenched open the original door to find Harry kneeling a few metres from it, picking up broken pieces of glass and placing them gingerly on a weathered wooden table.

Severus leaned on the doorframe, enjoying the feeling of superiority that being higher up gave him. "Considering I'm a prisoner, this isn't very high security. A never ending chain connected to a bed post. Not very secure at all."

Harry looked up as soon as he heard Severus speak. "Do you really think that is the only security measure I put in place?"

"Seems like it." Severus stepped forward, but found himself unable to move his left foot through the doorway, as if it was stuck in a hole in a fence. "Ah." Severus moved back to the doorway. "Clever."

"I know." Harry looked back down at the broken vial and picked up a large shard of glass. "I invented it." He placed the shard on the table. "It doesn't even require the chain, only the ring on you ankle, but you'd probably already guessed that." Harry looked up as he said it, a devilish smirk on his face. "I guess that's just my kinky nature."

"I'm sure." Severus watched Harry's smirk turned almost into a grin and looked down as Harry reached down towards the mess on the floor. Harry kept his eyes on Severus, picking up a shard absentmindedly. He let out a sharp breath as he cut his finger, and looked down as a tiny drop of blood seeped out of the cut. What he didn't see, was the residue of the potion that had been within the vial enter his bloodstream.

As soon as he saw Harry bleed, Severus stepped forward, concerned, but he was held back by the power of the doorway. "Harry, are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Harry stood, then placed the piece of glass on the table next to the other shards. "I think I'll go wash it in case." Severus watched in frustration as Harry walked towards the door at the other end of the room. And as Harry reached out a hand to open it, Severus watched in horror as he fell to the floor.

* * *

A/N: Ha ha I love cliffies. See you next time. Please review.


	9. The Patient

**The Patient**

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue, JK.

Warnings: swearing, previous m-preg & character death, hbp spoilers, bad humour at inappropriate moments.

Rating: still PG-13.

A/N: I'd like to say that I actually started this chap two months ago. Also, I'm evil. Hate me.

* * *

Lightning rang through the castle, and Prince Severus sighed as he moved a piece on the chessboard, barely paying any attention to the game before him. Peter moved his knight into a vulnerable position as Lucius spoke. "What else is there!" He uttered incredulously, "she asks you, 'what else', and you say; 'what else is there?'" He rolled his eyes majestically, the grey orbs rotating smoothly. "You should write a book: 'How to insult women in five words or less'!"

"I know. I ruined it completely." As Severus spoke, Peter craftily removed a rook from the board.

Peter took Severus' queen loudly. "Severus, you lost your queen!"

"That's twice in one day!"

Okay, that one might've been a bit obscure.

* * *

Severus paced. Determinedly, and absentmindedly, he paced. Every time he passed the door he would look out, each time with a little less hope, to see if Harry was awake. To Severus, it seemed as if days had passed since Harry had fallen to the floor, but he knew it could only have been minutes. Minutes, spent striding across the room, damning the device wrapped around his ankle. Minutes spent imagining the worst of the worst; that Harry was dead, and Severus would die here himself, with no way out and no chance of salvation.

As he thought his damning thoughts for the hundredth time, Severus heard a gasp from the other room. Forgetting his imprisonment for a moment, he sprang through the door, an expression not dissimilar to relief on his face, only to be pulled backwards as his left leg, and the ring, attempted to pass through the doorway. "Damnation be to all young wizards bent on locking up ex-death eaters!" Severus roared.

"Ex, my ass." Harry coughed lightly as he spoke, his face contorting from the pleasant expression it had held as he woke. "God, I feel like my insides have been through a meat grinder before being pâpie mache-d into the shape of a giant pineapple."

"Well, perhaps they have, Potter." Severus attempted to regain his cool demeanour, but failed. Instead, he succeeded in making more of a fool of himself by leaning on the doorframe and promptly falling forwards, saving himself barely from a large and bloody nose by putting out his hands to lessen the fall.

"Wow, you're really uncoordinated." Harry was laughing, despite his recent apparently near-death experience. "I never would have guessed. Your movements are always so controlled."

Severus forgot his embarrassment at the expression of merriment on the young man's face, across the room. He half smiled, picking himself up, before asking, "what was the potion in the vial, the one that you broke?"

At Severus' words, all humour disappeared from Harry's face, replaced instantly by anger. "Mind your own business;" he growled angrily. Harry stood, his movements agitated, and moved across the room, towards Severus.

"What are you doing, Potter?" Severus' voice held the faintest strain of worry.

"I'm gonna finish clearing up; not that it concerns you." During his period of sleep, Harry seemed to have developed a surly streak to rival Severus' own. He continued in his forward motion, but a step away from the doorway, a strange expression came over Harry's face, and he stared, bewildered, into Severus' eyes for a second before falling once again to the floor.

As Harry fell, Severus stared in something akin to disbelief, which was followed by a small twitch of annoyance and just a dash of disdain, before muttering sarcastically to himself. "Typical."

* * *

Harry landed within his reach, but it took all of Severus' strength to haul Harry to the four-poster bed. Though he appeared tiny, the seventeen year-old weighed a ton. Severus wondered what the boy ate to weigh so much. Once Harry was on the bed, Severus pulled the blankets up around him giving him the only comfort available in the small room.

As he tucked Harry in, an idea came to Severus' mind. Taking Harry's hand in his own, he used it to grasp the ring around his ankle, and pulled. There was a crackle of magic, then the ring started to heat up, scorching Severus' ankle in the process. He let go of Harry's hand, and hopped away in pain, cursing himself for having helped educate this magically adept monster who seemed intent on causing him immense amounts of embarrassment and pain.

As the pain subsided, Severus took a seat on the bed, next to Harry, and absentmindedly picked up the boy's hand, stroking it gently, before coming to his senses and once again laying it on the bed. He raised a hand to the unconscious boy's forehead, and was surprised to find it dripping with sweat, and hotter by far than it should be.

"What is that potion, boy?" Severus murmured distractedly as he removed the recently placed blankets from the boy's sweating body. As the blankets were removed, Severus saw Harry shiver slightly, probably from the sudden impact of cold air. His eyes swept the room as he searched for anything that could help with a fever. With relief, he remembered the other door, and burst through it to find a bathroom equipped only with a few basic implements. He quickly wet a gaudily coloured hand towel, and took it back into the bedroom, stopping not for a second to question the fact that he was desperately trying to heal the boy who was currently holding him prisoner.

Back in the bedroom, Severus placed the wet towel on Harry's forehead, thinking frantically about what he could do. As Harry fidgeted slightly in his sleep, Severus knew that there was nothing he could do. Without his wand, and with no supplies except a few items of linen and water, he could do nothing but watch... And perhaps find some clothing.

Hours later, and there still seemed to be no development in Harry's condition. Severus had stayed next to the boy constantly, after all, he couldn't go anywhere else, occasionally changing the towel and checking Harry's forehead, but he still sweated heavily and Severus could feel no change in his temperature.

Severus had found some clothing in the bathroom, and had gratefully swapped into the loose white button-up shirt and brown pants, even if they were a little bit big. After changing he'd left the sheet that he'd previously been wearing in the bathroom and returned immediately to nursing Harry.

Severus walked over to the opening to the room next door, and spotted the spilt potion still on the floor, he reached forward, trying to retrieve some of the spilt potion in the hope of perhaps analysing it, but the spill was too far away from the doorway that wouldn't let Severus pass. He growled angrily. Being in situations like this made Severus feel impotent, and weak, but mostly impotent. And that was a feeling that he couldn't stand.

His gaze flicked behind him to the boy fidgeting on the bed. He could definitely feel some cursing coming on. Once the boy was awake, and fully able to feel pain, he was going to let rip with all the dark magic he knew, just to make Harry pay for putting him through all that stress. Severus walked sedately back to the bed, and sat stiffly on the chair that he had stolen from the bathroom. He continued to stare at the face, covered in perspiration, that was directly in front of him. To Severus, it seemed as if Harry was suffering from physical pain, the way he was fidgeting and gasping.

Severus could feel himself tiring as he kept his vigil, and his eyes closed wearily, snapping open a moment later after reminding himself that Harry needed looking after. As he looked down at the boy, however, he knew there was nothing he could do, and he lay himself down on the bed, back towards Harry, and drifted slowly and cautiously off into some much needed sleep.

* * *

Severus was woken by the sound of coughing, followed shortly by a voice. "Great buggery bollocks." The outburst was followed by another spurt of coughing. "My head feels like it's stuffed with rocks stuffed with cotton wool that is soaked in kerosene. It's god awful. What the fuck have I been drinking?"

Severus cleared his throat, and snapped, "just the question I want answered." Severus' eyes shot open as he realised his voice was muffled, and his body sped up into a sitting position as he realised how he was lying. A difficult and slow feat to achieve as he was lying face down with the Boy-Who-Lived as his pillow. "Holy Shit."

"Isn't that the stuff that comes out of the pope's ass?" Severus glanced down in shock, and Harry smiled at him tiredly, before sitting up himself. Harry leaned forward, placing a kiss on Severus' lips, making him freeze in shock and confusion. Harry pulled back, a bewildered look on his face. "Severus? What's the matter?"

Severus remained stock still staring astonishedly into Harry's warm and sparkling eyes. His body was rigid, and he couldn't seem to form any words in his daze. At last, he managed to choke out, "what- are you- d-doing?"

Harry laughed quietly, almost sniggering at Severus' question. "Saying good morning, dolt."

"Wha-?" Severus scrambled backwards, tipping off the side of the bed to land on his back. He groaned at the pain, his hands flying to his sore rear. He stood slowly, still clutching at his spine in agony. Through the pain, Severus managed to growl, "What are you playing at? This is not the usual etiquette when dealing with prisoners."

"Prisoner?" Harry laughed once again, a deep laugh, the laugh of someone who was almost a man. "Sometimes your imagination goes too far Severus." Harry slid forward, rising from the bed and advancing on the dark haired man, who backed against the, unfortunately very close, wall. Harry leaned against him, on his tiptoes, so that he could whisper into Severus' ear. "It's kind of... exciting."

Severus' head jerked away from the breeze of hot air that escaped from Harry's lips. His hand shot up to clasp at his ear self consciously, and he attempted to slide away from the invasion of personal space that Harry was creating. "P-potter." Severus cursed himself for how nervous he sounded. "Please remove your hands from my person and remove your body from my personal space." As he spoke, Severus turned to face Harry, and regretted it instantly.

Harry was smirking at him perfectly, his eyebrow raised sardonically. His eyes held something that Severus might identify in anyone else as lust. "Playing hard to get, are we?" Standing on the very tips of his toes, Harry blew on Severus' ear, making the older man shiver despite himself. This was quickly followed by a gentle bite, and a slow and languorous lick down Severus' jawline, which almost had the potions master's knees buckling.

Severus let out a lusty moan, before remembering himself and pushing the persistent Harry roughly away from him. The teenager landed hard on the floor, banging against the bed behind him. Severus glared at him in rage. "What are you doing?" He yelled frantically, "stop this now!"

Harry's head shot up as Severus spoke, but lust was no longer contained within his expressive eyes. Now, they were filled with anger and confusion. Harry stood speedily, almost intimidating Severus, despite his, by far, inferior height. "What am I doing?" Harry shouted as loudly as Severus himself had, "what do you think I'm doing? Expressing my love for you. Why? Because I'm married to you!"

* * *

A/N so?! Am I evil? Say I'm evil!! Love me for updating though!! And review!!


	10. The Dream

**The Dream**

Disclaimer: I disclaim!! Whatever that means...

Warnings: Swearing, previous m-preg, previous canon character death(as in, the death is canon), hbp spoilers, inappropriate drug use.

Rating: Very possibly only just PG-13.

* * *

Last time on Home and Away: (Okay, that's probably an insult...)

"Oh, Severus, Severus wherefore art thou Severus?" Harry spoke airily to the night, swept away on the wings of love. "Deny thy Dark Lord and refuse thy House, or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I will no longer be a Gryffindor." Harry sighed as he stared at the stars, but the sudden sound of a twig breaking had him wary with his wand at the ready.

Concentrating on his hearing, Harry could hear the faint strains of a man saying, "...it is the east, and Harry-et is the sun..." Sure that he was not imagining things, he took a deep breath, preparing himself. When ready, he began. "Ahh!! Help!! There's a pervert outside my window!! Call the guard!!"

(How Romeo and Juliet should have gone?)

* * *

"Say what?" It was the strangest sentence that had ever escaped Severus' lips. But it was nothing compared to his next line. "I mean, like, seriously, I'm your what?"

"You." Harry pointed determinedly at Severus. "Are my." Harry's hand turned to point at himself. "Husband." He held up his left hand, which was, unsurprisingly to Severus, bare.

"Come on, pull the other one!" Despite himself, Severus began to laugh hysterically, his nervousness getting the better of him. He was snapped out of his convulsions by a stinging slap on his cheek. Severus head shot up to look into a pair of furious green eyes.

"Sometimes you can be such an asshole, Severus." Harry growled sulkily. "It gets on my nerves." Staring darkly at Severus, Harry let out a huff, before stalking into the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Taking a breath to calm his nerves, Severus stepped gingerly away from the wall. He ran his hands shakily down the front of his shirt a few times, before trudging wearily over to the bathroom door. He knocked on it gently, and spoke in his, thankfully, stern voice. "Harry, will you please come out? We can discuss this rationally, without you acting like a spoilt child."

As soon as Severus' words were said, the door flew open, the still angry eyes of Harry Potter glaring up at him. "I. Am. Not. A. Child." He spat the words out menacingly.

"Prove it." Severus smirked at the boy, and he raised an eyebrow in a silent challenge.

A small grunt escaped Harry, before he stepped around Severus to sit serenely and unexpectedly on the chair next to the bed. "Well?" Harry gestured towards the bed irritably, betraying his serene demeanour of a second before. "Please do proceed."

A small smile almost graced Severus' lips as he strode to the bed and slowly placed himself on it. "Thank you ever so much for your permission. Now, we seem to have a disagreement about a certain issue at the moment, but before we begin, would you be kind enough to remove this... thing." Severus pointed forcefully at his left ankle. "From my leg?"

Harry looked down in surprise, showing astonishment as he spotted the ring, giving the impression it was the first time he had noticed it. "What's this?"

Severus sighed grumpily. "Well, technically, it's a metallic magical transmission device shaped like a ring and placed on a person's ankle that is unable to pass through a series of set points in space that make the semblance of a wall in an area typically known as a doorway." Severus paused. "But for simplicity's sake let's call it an ankle guard." Severus cleared his throat furtively. "So, about removing it..."

Harry paid no heed to Severus' attempt at freedom, instead he returned to examining the ring around his ankle. Harry's hands travelled along the length of the chain, and he raised his eyebrow, Severus assumed when he realised how... unnecessary it was. "Fascinating. And I can see the runes, so meticulously done. Who created it?"

Taken aback by Harry's serious nature for a minute, Severus stared at him, before shaking his head slightly and saying, "it was created by you, in fact."

Harry laughed boisterously at Severus' remark, all seriousness vanishing in a second. "No shit!"

As Harry laughed, Severus could feel the return of his old angry self who had disappeared when the teenager had begun coming onto him. With Harry's continuing laughter, Severus barked angrily, "stop gadding around and remove it at once, boy."

The laughter stopped when the word boy escaped from Severus' mouth. Harry glared at him slightly, before quickly removing the ring, and not without a few rough pulls in the process. Ring in hand, Harry sat back and continued to glare at Severus, before speaking icily. "Oh, do continue, sir." The last word was laden heavily with sarcasm, and followed by a dull thunk and a clinking of chains as Harry dropped the ring to the floor.

Surreptitiously avoiding Harry's eyes, Severus stood, and walked towards the door. "I need to get something, I will return presently." Severus strode into the bare and dimly lit room next door, unexpected happiness filling him as he walked through the doorway without being yanked back by the ankle, and headed towards the single desk. Opening the drawer, he spotted his wand, and he shook his head at Harry's predictable behaviour. He may have developed some good warding skills, but he was still absolutely rubbish at thinking things through.

Severus turned to face the puddle of potion still on the floor, and swished his wand in a small circle. A small vial appeared, and Severus' hand shot out to catch it before it followed its fellow to the floor. He knelt next to the puddle and scooped a sample into the vial, stoppering it once it was full.

Tapping the vial once with his wand, Severus' eyes widened instantly, and he marched back into the bedroom area. On the chair, Harry had once again picked up the ring and was examining it thoughtfully, but he was pulled from his examinations by Severus' hand roughly grabbing his arm.

"Wha-?" Harry tried to pull against the strong force, but he was nowhere near as strong as Severus, who dragged him to the door. "Where are we going?"

Severus gritted out, "we are going to a place where we can analyse this." Severus shoved the potion vial in Harry's face. "We are going to Spinner's End."

* * *

Severus could feel the yanking of Harry's hand as he attempted to pull it from Severus' grasp, but to no avail, the boy was considerably weaker than Severus' firm grip. He pulled Harry along the embankment, ignoring the continuing struggles until he came to a row of houses. Once they were in the shadow of the first building, Severus whipped around to face Harry, a grave look on his face.

"Let me go Severus," Harry cried angrily, still struggling to remove his hand from Severus' grip. "What are you-"

Harry's words were cut off by Severus' pale hand clamping forcefully on his mouth, but Severus could still hear Harry's muffled protests. Severus put his finger to his thin lips, and Harry's protests stopped, but not the glare he was sending Severus. "Harry, please calm down. I need you to wait while I make sure that there are no intruders in- ow!" Severus pulled his hand quickly away from Harry's mouth, staring in shock at the small wound, blood dripping gently to splash soundlessly on the bare, earthen ground below.

"Don't you dare try to silence me like that again!" Harry gritted his teeth in frustration, turning his head grudgingly to the side and closing his eyes. "I've already told you, how the Dursleys treated me, and now you're doing that!"

"And now I'm- what? How... the Dursleys treated you?" Severus was intrigued, but suddenly he realised where they were standing. He shook his head slightly, clearing it of the troubling thoughts Harry's words had brought. "Wait here, Harry. Please. I need to check if there's an intruder. Do you understand?"

Harry's head snapped back, allowing him to glare at Severus. "Don't treat me like a child. I'm not stupid."

Severus coughed surreptitiously, before murmuring "could've fooled me."

Harry stopped glaring at Severus, instead, raising his eyebrow questioningly. "Excuse me?"

Severus sighed. "We don't have the time for this." Severus strode briskly away from Harry, glancing back to check that he hadn't moved as Severus walked along the dark row of houses, ducking into the familiar doorway as he reached it. He touched the doorknob, and grimaced as the wards burned him in recognition. "I need to change my wards," he muttered as he crept into his 'home'.

The door snapping shut behind him, Severus' eyes scanned the dusty room cautiously, taking in the disturbed furniture and clean fingermarks marring every surface. Obvious signs that since his sudden disappearance, an entire troop of Death Eaters had been searching the house for any 'secrets'.

Sighing in frustration, Severus stalked slowly towards the back of the room, tapping the wall with his wand and standing still as the wall melted away to reveal a wooden door that could barely be told apart from the wall, Severus deliberately opened the door, waiting a moment before ducking his head to pass below the unusually low mantle. Searching the room for any signs of intruders, Severus sighed with relief. The potion bottles on the walls remained untouched, the implements still in their correct positions on the tables.

The door melted back into the wall as Severus closed it behind him, once again crossing the front room to exit to the street. Silently, Severus walked to Harry, who had his back turned. Upon reaching Harry, Severus tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and Harry jumped slightly before spinning to once again glare at Severus. Raising his hand, Harry punched Severus lightly in the chest. "That's not polite, you know."

Severus smirked. "I didn't do anything impolite. I simply tapped your shoulder in order to gain your attention." Taking hold of Harry's arm, Severus moved towards the darkened doorway of his house. "Come, it's safe."

This time, Harry did not fight as he was dragged along, and as Severus looked back, he detected a look of resignation on Harry's face. Severus pushed the door open with his free left hand, and the pair of men came to a halt as they entered the room.

"Wow, Severus, it's a bit of a dump."

Severus could hear the low sound of a chuckle from behind him, and he span to face the blasphemer who had referred to his home as a 'dump'. "What did you just call my house?" Severus rose to his full height, glaring down at the young man before him.

Harry was instantly intimidated by Severus' mood swing, and he murmured nervously, "nothing. I didn't say anything about it. Sorry."

"I hope not, because unimaginable pain lies in wait for anyone who does say something about it." Severus span on the spot and marched to the back wall, Harry following sheepishly behind him. He tapped on the wall and once again stooped to walk through the door that appeared. Harry followed him slowly, a look of fascination upon his young face.

"That's a beautiful enchantment, Severus. I can't believe you haven't shown me this place before." Harry turned his attention back to Severus as the potions master busied himself with his potions implements. Setting up a cauldron here, fetching an ingredient there, Severus flew about the laboratory with the ease of someone very familiar with their surroundings. "I guess this place is something like a sanctuary to you. I remember when we first started talking, you said that potions are like an escape."

"A correct assumption, Harry, now, please cease your chatter whilst I work." After speaking, Severus gestured vaguely towards a stool in the corner of the room, and assumed that the faint rustling sounds were an indication of Harry sitting down. Taking the vial with the potion sample from the pocket in his shirt, Severus unstoppered it carefully and tipped the liquid into the softly bubbling cauldron that he had just prepared.

As the potion touched the bubbling liquid, a high scream erupted from the mixture, and a series of coloured sparks poured out of the cauldron. Severus noted the sequence of colours, and started mumbling to himself as he went through the pattern in his mind.

"What in the world was that?" Harry's voice held no ounce of the shock that his words implied.

"It's a potion identification method called the spark method," Severus replied distractedly, still going through the results in his head. Walking over to one of the walls, Severus pulled an old and dusty tome from the shelf. Opening it in the middle, he scanned quickly down the pages, placing his finger as a guide, and flipping the pages expertly. At last he stopped, and made a small noise of triumph, before suddenly going chalk white.

Slowly, Severus raised his eyes to meet Harry, shock and concern betraying his usually emotionless face. "Harry, I don't know how to tell you this, but, you've absorbed a potion called 'The Dream'." At Harry's confused look, Severus continued. "It's the most powerful hallucinogenic in existence. So powerful that, if it comes in contact with the blood, it can even rewrite a person's entire life."

Harry shook his head in frustration. "But, Severus, I can remember my life. It's all here in my head. Growing up with the Dursleys, Hogwarts, marrying you..."

"Harry, those aren't your real memories." Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Severus silenced him with a finger to his lips. "But that's not all. There's something worse. Usually the potion would stop after a certain amount of time. It would run out. But not if taken through the blood. Because when it gets into the blood, the body starts producing it like it would a hormone, and it keeps on altering memories. But to do that, it needs one more thing. It needs the wizard's life force." Severus averted his eyes, unable to look into the green orbs before him. "Harry, the potion is killing you."

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A/N: Well, thanks to the two people who actually reviewed this chapter. The next chapter might come up soon, but I wouldn't expect much more because I'm starting year 12 soon and I won't actually have any time to write. I would appreciate if people gave me actual critique, but if all people can think to say is complaint about my obvious need for criticism, I guess that will have to do.


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